A 25-year-old Marine has been charged for killing "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and his friend at Texas, officials said Sunday.
Eddie Ray Routh, who served tours in Iraq and Haiti, shot Kyle, 38, and his friend Chad Littlefield, 35, with a semi-automatic handgun at an exclusive shooting range near Glen Rose, Texas and fled in a pickup truck of Kyle, reported The New York Times.
Routh was arrested at his home in Lancaster, suburban Dallas, and is charged with capital murder and two charges of murder.
"He may have been suffering from some type of mental illness from being in the military for himself," said Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant. "He was a Marine for four years. There may have been complications from that but we don't for sure."
The sheriff also said that Routh informed his sister and brother-in-law about the killing after which they notified the police authorities. At the time of shooting, Routh was unemployed and his military status is listed as reserve.
According to The Detroit Free Press, Routh has been held on a $3-million bond and the authorities claim they do not know whether he has a lawyer yet.
Travis Cox, a former military sniper and friend of Kyle, described Kyle as an "American Hero."
"My heart is breaking" Cox said in a statement. "Our foundation, Fitco Cares, this country and most importantly, his wife Taya and their children, lost a dedicated father and husband, a lifelong patriot and an American hero."
"Chris died doing what he filled his heart with passion - serving soldiers struggling with the fight to overcome PTSD," he said.
With 160 kills Kyle earned the reputation of America's most lethal sniper and said his insurgents called him 'the devil of Ramadi.' After retiring from military Kyle founded Craft International a company dedicated to train military, police, corporate and civilian clients. His book "American Sniper" was on The New York Times bestseller's list for months and earned him a celebrity status.
